Looking for a job? Having the necessary skills and credentials is really important, but in addition to this, you will need to think about what you can do to go the extra mile and win over your potential employer. One way to take your application a step further is to send a thank you letter after you have interviewed with a company. A thank you letter is something that is very subtle but goes a long way in showing your professionalism and your sincere interest in the position. A thank you letter can also be extended to other people who have given you guidance or a referral.

Steps

Method1

Writing a Thank You Letter to a Potential Employer

1

Know when you should write a thank you letter. If you have had an interview with a company, you should send a thank you letter, regardless of whether the interview was in-person or on the phone. You should also send a thank you letter if you meet with a representative of the company to find out more about the company and the position you would take.

You should also write thank you letters to people who give you referrals, or people who send your resumes to other companies on your behalf.

Write thank you letters to people who have given your valuable advice or given you guidance in some way.

2

Consider the topics should you discuss in your thank you letter. Your letter should discuss other topics besides thanking the person for their time. If you are writing to a person who just interviewed you, your letter should also discuss how interested you are in the company and the position you applied for. You can also write down anything you may have forgotten to mention in your interview that you think may be crucial to your chances of getting hired. The letter also serves as a way to remind your potential employer about your application and your skills.

When you send a thank you letter, it also showcases your professionalism.

3

Write your thank you letter. When writing your thank you letter, there are several things you should keep in mind. The first is that your letter should be succinct and to the point. Be precise in your writing and make sure that you do not have run-on sentences; instead, they should address your reason for writing the letter (as discussed in the previous step) efficiently and professionally. Other things to keep in mind when writing your letter include:

Keeping your tone gracious. First and foremost, your reason for writing the letter is to thank your potential employer for his or her time. Show your gratitude by keeping your tone gracious. However, you should not be overly gracious; keep your tone honest and do not try to exaggerate your emotions.

Mentioning specific parts of the interview that really interested you. Think of the letter as a way to showcase your enthusiasm and interest in what you discussed and the company as a whole.

Adding an extra fact about yourself that you feel may tip the scales in your favor and get you hired.

Clearing up confusions. If there were any misunderstandings about your skills or qualifications, clear them up in the letter or reiterate what you said in the interview.

Touching upon grey areas. If you felt like there was an issue that was not addressed well, clear it up in the letter.

4

Keep your letter short. While you should try to include all of the topics that pertain to you listed in the previous step, you should still try to keep your letter short. Once you have written out your letter, try to condense down sentences to make your letter shorter. Longer letters are less likely to be read.

Keep your letter to a page at the very most.

5

Keep in mind that your letter can be electronic. In general, you should send your thank you letter through the same means of communication that you have previously used to talk to your potential employer. In this day and age, it is very likely that you have communicated with your employer via email. If this is the case, feel free to send your thank you letter from your email. The goal is to get the letter to the potential employer as quickly as possible after you have had your interview.

You could also write the thank you letter by hand and put it in the post or deliver it by person. If you do choose to write your letter by hand, make sure that your handwriting is legible and that you use professional-looking stationery.

6

Proofread your letter. After you have finished writing your letter, set it aside for an hour or so. Once the time has passed, return to the letter and look for any grammar errors, or any sentences that sound awkward. You can also try reading the letter out loud, as this may help you to find sentences that sound awkward.

If possible, have someone else look at your letter. They may be able to help you spot the errors that you missed.

Method2

Writing a Thank You Letter to Someone Who Gave You Guidance

1

Begin your letter by extending your sincere thanks. If a person took the time to meet with you or write you a referral, it is important that you thank them for the time that they took out of their busy schedule. Everyone has a lot of stuff going on in their lives, and the fact that this person set aside time to talk with you is something that deserves thanks.

Similarly, thank them for putting in the effort to either think about your situation so that they could give you advice, or writing you a referral.

2

Mention the learning points that you took away from your discussion. In the meat of the letter, mention the advice that the person gave you, and how you hope to apply that advice to your situation.

Highlight the most valuable thing you learned from your discussion if you wish to do so.

3

Talk about how you have applied their advice to your life, if you have done so already. If their advice applied to a certain situation that you have since remedied, mention this in the letter and outline how their advice helped you to overcome the situation.

You could be vague about the situation, or you could go into detail about how you used their advice. This will depend on the relationship you have with the person.

4

Explain any gift that you send along with your thank you letter. If you plan to send a gift along with your letter, make sure to explain it in the letter.

For instance, if the person you met with mentioned a magazine article they had been hoping to read, send along your copy of the magazine with a note about how you hope that they find the article interesting.

However, this is optional and depends on the conversation you had. You do not need to send gifts along with every thank you letter that you write.

5

End on a grateful note. Lastly, mention once again how grateful you are that they took the time to give you advice or write you a referral. Mention again that it meant a lot to you.

6

Proofread your letter. Once you have drafted your thank you letter, proofread it for any errors. Make sure that there are no awkward sentences, or that you have used incorrect grammar.

Ask someone else to proofread your letter if you are concerned about its contents.

Method3

Keeping General Considerations in Mind

1

Write the thank you letter very soon after your interview or meeting. The longer you wait to write your thank you letter, the hazier the specifics of your interview or meeting will become. Because of this, you should sit down and write your thank you letter as soon as you get home from your interview.

Remember, part of a thank you letter should be spent discussing the specific details of the interview or meeting that you are very excited about or found valuable. The longer you wait to write the letter, the harder you may find it to remember what the person you talked with said.

2

Make sure that you have you have the person’s correct information. During the interview or meeting, exchange business cards with your interviewer, or simply ask for his or her card if you do not have one. Getting your interviewer’s card will ensure that you send your thank you letter to the correct location.

If you did not get the business card during the interview, look up your interviewer or the person who gave you guidance on the company’s website, or contact the company and ask where you should direct the thank you letter.

3

Send a thank you letter, even if you are not overly enthusiastic about the job you applied for (this applies to people sending letters to potential employers). If you did not find the job engaging, or you don’t think that you got the job based on the interview, it is still important to write a thank you letter. There may be a position open with that company in the future, and a thank you letter may help to create a positive impression that could get you hired in the future.

4

Personalize letters. If you have participated in several interviews or meetings, make sure to personalize the letters. Mentioning specific instances that occurred during each interview or meeting will help to show that you were really engaged in the interview.

While you can have a basic format that you use for all of your thank you letters, make sure that you had a personal touch to each one, and double check that you address the letter to the correct person.

5

Understand why you should send a thank you letter. A thank you letter can benefit you in a variety of ways. First of all, sending a thank you letter can help you to stand out from the rest of the applicants. It will show that you are willing to put in a little extra effort, which is a valuable trait in an employee. Thank you letters also:

Show off your communication skills. Communication is a valuable skill for many different positions. Demonstrating your ability to communicate in writing will show off this skill to your potential employer.

Demonstrate your diligence. Persistence is often an excellent thing to have when applying for jobs. Following up is one way to stay persistent in your application for the job.